Radiator cap



Aug. 28, 1928. 1,682,641

G. H. TOWNSEND ET AL RADIATOR CAP Fild March 18, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 28, 1928. 1,682,641

G. H. TOWNSEND ET AL RADIATOR CAP Filed larch 1 1925 2 Shoots-Sheet 2 W? 1 43, ,qrra/P/vzrs Patented Aug. 28, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' GEORGE H. TOWNSEND, OF GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT, AND HERMAN SCHLAICH,

LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK.

RADIATOR CAP.

Application filed March 18, 1925.

This invention relates to closures for automobile radiators, more especially to closures of the type incorporating motor heat indicators, ornaments, or other devices of i the type commonly provided on such closures.

It is an object of the invention to provide a radiator closure of this type which is inexpensive and which can be constructed without special attention to accuracy of dimensions, but which is, nevertheless capable of sealing the radiator neck completely against egress of water or steam.

It is a further object to provide a 010- sure assembly of this kind which can be quickly and easily applied to radiator necks of existing automobiles, of the Ford type for example, without alteration thereof.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, showing the closure means of the present invention applied to a radiator neck and in open position; V

Figure 2 is a slde elevation. of the same, part1 in section, showing the parts in close position;

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the same, a bail forming part of the closure neck being broken away;

Figure 4 is a plan view of a locking member used in securing an instrument in position on said closure;

Figure 5 is an elevation of the locking member shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a plan View of the closure means showingthe parts in closed position;

Figure 7 is a front elevation of the same; and a Figure 8 is a side elevation of the same.

The automobile radiator comprises a filling neck 1 having an overhanglng annular shoulder 2 at a short distance from its upper end. Necks of this eneral construction are common, being ound on several makes of automobiles.

The novel closure of the present invention comprises a collar 3 encircling the neck 1, a closure cap 4 hinged to the collar and having a motor heat indicator 5 mounted in it, and a spring bail 6 pivoted on the collar and swingable intoposition to lock the cap 4 closed.

The collar 3 has an inturned annular Serial No. 16,315.

flange 7 at its upper end which rests upon the upper end of the radiator neck 1. A compressible gasket 8 of substantial thickness is interposed between the neck 1 and the flan e 7 for sealing the space between them. Fingers 9 on the lower end of the collar are turned under the shoulder 2 by a suitable tool to hold the collar permanently to the radiator neck, so that it cannot be stolen, but for a reason which will be pointed out later it is not important that the collar be drawn down snugly to the neck by the fingers. The collar 3, which is a stamping, has bearing ears 10 punched outward at its rear, and these cars have vertical slots 11 forming bearings for a pivot pin 12 that hingedly supports the cap 4. The pivot pin 12 is passed through the ears 10, and is upset at its ends. Sleeves 13 formed by bending fingers on the cap to the rear embrace thepivot pin between ears 10. Washers 1 1 may be interposed between the enlarged ends 15 of the pin 12 and the ears 10.

The radiator cap 4 is also a stamping, and is constructed in a manner which is both economical and highly efficient. It has a circular opening at its lower end to receive the upper end of the collar 3. A yieldable gasket 16 ofsubstantial thickness is held in a circular recess 17 in the cap just above thisopening, and bears against a horizontal annular shoulder 18. This gasket 16 rests upon the horizontal upper surface of the flange 7 when the cap 4 is in closed position, for sealing the space between the collar and the cap. The cap 4 has a horizontal section 19 to the rear of its center through which the stem 20 of the indicator 5fpasses and to which the same is attached. Winglike cam bosses 21, pressed upward from the cap, extendfrom the middle of the front thereof outwardly ancl rearwardly to the sides of the indicator. The carrying of. these bosses 21 outward to the sides of the said indicator enables them to be extended back to the position shown without breaking the continuity of the cap material. At

their rear extremities they decline sharply,

merging into the section 19.

The spring bail 6 has inturned ends 22 that are passed through openings 23 in the collar 3 and beneath the shoulder 2 on the radiator neck 1 at opposite sides thereof. When the cap 4 is placed in closed position the bail 6 may be seized by wing portions 2-1 and turned up over the cam bosses 21, slightly beyond the apices thereof and against the stem of the heat indicator, as shown in Figures 2, 6, 7 and 8. As the spring bail 6 moves over the cam bosses 21. it is gradually distorted by them, and is thus caused to exert a substantial downward pressure against the cap 4.. The counter pressure is borne by the shoulder 2 on the radiator neck so that the downward pressure upon the cap, besides forcing the cap hard against the collar 3, forces the collar down hard against the neck 1. The gaskets 8 and 16 are both firmly compressed by this action so that the entire closure assembly is tightly sealed against egress of water or steam. Both the cap 4 and the collar 3, moreover, are prevented from rattling even though they may have been somewhat loosely assembled in the beginning. In order to permit the vertical movement of the collar 3 necessary for the compression of the gasket 8, the openings 23 in the collar are elongated. This elongation is also sufficient to take care of reasonable variation in the manufacture of parts and progressive wearing away of the gasket. The slots 11 in the ears are similarly elongated to take care of the compression of the gasket 16.

When it is desired to examine or fill the radiator, the spring bail 6 is swung down and the cap at is swung back, as shown in Figure 1. The heat indicator 5 is thus swung over the radiator and would be apt to strike against it and be damaged by it if permitted to fall. In order to prevent this kind of an accident a stop 25 is formed by bending a finger on the cap at outward into position to engage the collar wall and arrest the turning of the cap when it has cleared the neck, but before anyfdamage-can be done. (See Figure 1.)

With the construction described the escape of steam and water between the collar 3 and the neck 1, and between the collar and the cap 4 is avoided. The necessity for screwing the cap onto the neck is also avoided so that the indicating instrument 15 may be maintained in the same angular position without attention. It is important, however, that the said instrument be secured to the cap in a manner to avoid leaking joints and accidental or malicious turning. A feature of novelty lies in the provision made for this purpose. the horizontal portion 19 of the cap 4 with a gasket interposed between it and the cap, and its threaded stem 20 is passed through the cap. A novel locking member 27 is threaded onto the stem 20 of the indicator and bears against the inner face of the cap a multiplicity of upwardly inclined prongs The indicator 5 is set upon 28 having sharp points to engage the thread of the stem 20 and be turned thereon. A split lock washer 29 is placed below the memher 27 when the latter has been screwed into place, and a nut 30 is then turned up tight over the split washer. The prongs 28 of the member are thus caused to bite into the inner face of the cap at, and the points of the prongs are forced to cut across and bite into the threads of the stem 20 so that the instrument is positively locked against turning relatively to the cap 1. A gasket may be interposed between member 27 and the cap.

It will be seen that the entire closure assembly including both the collar 3 and the cap 4 may be quickly and easily attached to the radiator neck 1 by means of the fingers 9. The cap cannot be stolen either sep' arately or with the collar, because both members are permanently attached to the machine, nor can the cap be misplaced or put in a position where the motor heat indicator is likely to be injured. The indicator, moreover, always maintained square with the machine and in position to be read by the operator at the steering wheel. Although in the description of the present; embodiment of the invention, particular reference is had to an indicating instrument, it will be readily understood that the invention is not limited thereto and that any other type of device, such as an ornament, may be mounted on the cap in similar manner.

It will be evident, of course, that the closure assembly could be reversed so as to cause the indicating device to swing toward the front and the spring bail to swing toward the rear of the machine. The terms front and rear as applied to the closure assembly and the various parts thereof, should therefore, be construed merely as defining relative positions and not absolute positions of the parts.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and parts of the improvements maybe used without others.

IVhat I claim is:

1. In combination, a radiator neck, a collar encircling and resting on said neck, a

I compressible gasket interposed between the collar and the top of the neck, a cap resting on the collar, a compressible gasket interposed between the cap. and the collar, and

means bearing against the neck and the cap for pressing them toward one another and thereby compressing both of said gaskets to seal the joints between the collar and the neck, and between the collar and the cap.

2. In combination, a radiator neck, a collar encircling and resting on said neck, a cap resting on the collar, a spring bail passed through the collar and bearing against the neck, said bail being coopera tive with the cap to force the ca down hard against the collar, and the col ar having elongated slots through which the bail passes to permit the collar to be pressed down hard against the neck by the cap.

3. In combination, a radiator neck, a collar encircling and resting on said neck, a cap resting on the collar, and means operable to press the collar firmly against the neck and the cap firmly against the collar and to retain them under compression to seal the neck against egress of steam or water.

4. In combination, a radiator neck, a col- .lar encircling and resting on said neck, a

cap resting on the collar, a spring bail bearing against the cap and the neck, and swingable to press the cap, the collar and the neck. firmly together, and means on the collar forming loose bearings for the bail to hold it in place when it is swung away from operative position.

5. In a radiator closure, the combination with a stamped radiator cap, of a device passing through the rear upper portion thereof, said cap comprising cam bosses rising from the middle of the front of the cap to the sides of the device, and means cooperating With said cams and said device to lock the cap in closed condition.

6. In a radiator cap, the combination with a circular mouth to receive a radiator neck,

of a top comprising a rear horizontal portion to support an instrument and Winglike cam bosses rising from the middle of the front of the top and extending outwardly with apiees formed to lie just in front of the instrument, said bosses and horizontal portion merging beyond said apices.

7. A closure assembly for an automobile radiator having a neck formed with an overhanging shoulder, comprising a collar, a cap permanently secured to the collar, a device fixed in said cap, and deformable fingers on the collar arranged to be driven beneath the shoulder of the radiator neck to secure the assembly permanently on the radiator.

8. A closure assembly for an automobile radiator, comprising a collar, a cap permanently secured to the collar, means loosely but positively securing the assembly to a radiator against accidental or malicious removal, and means tightly securing the closure assembly and all its parts against rattling and its joints, including the joint between the cap assembly and the radiator neck, against leaking in use.

I11 testimony whereof We have afiixed our signatures to this specification.

GEO. H. TOWNSEND. HERMAN SCHLAICH. 

